Risk Assessment and Management

At the end of this course students will be able to: 1. distinguish between Risk Evaluation and Characterization; 2. explain the concept and steps of risk evaluation; 3. narrate the requirements for effective risk characterization; 4. discuss techniques of risk reduction and management of environmental risk; and 5. perform elementary Risk Sensitivity Analysis.

Meaning and definition of Risk Evaluation. Risk Characterization: the qualitative and/or quantitative estimation, attendant uncertainties, probability of occurrence and severity of known or potential adverse health effects on a population based on hazard identification, hazard characterization and exposure assessment. Requirements for risk characterization such as mathematical knowledge (as in modelling data), knowledge of the process under consideration, and microbiological knowledge and expertise is invariably needed. Stages of risk characterization: (i) combining previous MRA steps; (ii) summarizing the risk; (iii) variability in risk; (iv) validation against experience. Determination of risk management priorities through establishment of qualitative and /or quantitative relationships between benefits and associative risks. Risk evaluation process: identification, probability and impact, moment of risk, treatment, secondary risk, residual risk, and monitoring and review. Techniques of reduction and management of environmental risks: substitution, information about the safe use and disposal of agents to the public and users, and limiting the availability of the agent. Elementary Risk Sensitivity analysis